On Thursday morning, Tampa City Council members will hold a budget workshop just hours before they could possibly vote on the first property tax increase in 29 years. Last week, Councilmembers narrowly approved (by a 4-3 vote) to increase the millage rate from $5.73 to $6.33 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That could add $105 to the average homeowner’s tax bill.

First-time candidate Aakash Patel has already proved one thing during his bid to win a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission: he knows how to raise money The 33-year-old Republican raised more than $41,000 for his campaign in August, bringing his total to $156,201. Add another $23,800 from his political committee, Elevate Tampa, and Patel has raised more than $180,000.

With less than two weeks before the new fiscal year begins, Tampa’s City Council voted Monday night to advance a budget raising property taxes for the first time in 29 years. However, the increase would not be as much as originally proposed by Mayor Bob Buckhorn. The Council opted to support the $974.2 budget plan which raises the millage rate from $5.7326 to $6.3326 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Tampa entrepreneur Aakash Patel is touting the endorsement of another prominent Florida Republican backing his bid for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. This time It’s Joe Gruters, the Sarasota-region state Representative who also serves as the vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Gruters was Donald Trump’s campaign co-chairman in Florida in 2016.

Joining what is expected to be a bruising Democratic primary, state Representative Janet Cruz has filed to run for for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. Cruz, who is term limited out in 2018, had said months ago that she would be running for the seat, so it’s not much of a surprise that she entered the race. But that does not take away from the interest level in her decision because she is running against Tampa City Councilwoman…